Co Down punter has Lotto ticket worth £300,000

The hunt is on for a lucky punter with a National Lottery ticket worth more than £300,000 bought in Co Down.

Anyone who purchased a ticket for the July 30 draw is being asked to check their pockets in case they have the key to an unclaimed fortune.

The winning Lotto numbers on that date were 2, 5, 11, 22, 24 and 42 and the holder has until January 26, 2015 to claim their prize.

If no-one comes forward with the winning ticket before the prize claim deadline, then the prize money, plus all the interest generated, will go to official National Lottery good causes.

Almost 20,000 projects in Northern Ireland have received grants across the arts, sports, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment totalling £1 billion.

A National Lottery spokesperson said: “We’re eager to find the mystery ticket-holder and unite them with their winnings – this amazing prize could really make a huge difference to somebody’s life. We’re urging everyone who bought a Lotto ticket in this area to check their old tickets again or look anywhere a missing ticket could be hiding.

“Try checking in the pockets of clothing, in wallets, bags and down the back of the sofa – someone out there could literally be sitting on a fortune! We have the champagne on ice and our fingers crossed that the lucky winner comes forward to claim their win.”

To help jog Lotto players’ memories about what was happening on or around July 30, Cheryl Cole was on top of the UK singles chart with Crazy Stupid Love, while Ed Sheeran topped the album chart with X.

Anyone who believes they have the winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws within the 180-day deadline can call the National Lottery Line on 0845 910 0000.